


A Bear to Cross

by sartiebodyshots



Category: Falling Skies
Genre: Gen, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-19
Updated: 2017-09-19
Packaged: 2018-12-31 13:50:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12133836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sartiebodyshots/pseuds/sartiebodyshots
Summary: Hal doesn't want Ben to start going on patrol.  {set between seasons 1 and 2}





	A Bear to Cross

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Missing Scene day for Falling Skies Week!

“I'm going on patrol, and that's that!” Ben yells, grabbing his pack.  

“Ben, listen to me,” Hal pleads, but Ben cuts him off.  

“I'm tired of listening to you Hal.  You're not Dad, and you're never going to be Dad, so stop trying!” Ben says.  

What he doesn't say is that he overheard him talking to Weaver right after Dad left.  What he doesn't say is that he knows that Dad being gone is all his fault.  Hal must blame him- he blamed Ben for things that weren't even his fault, before- but he won't say anything.  Hal doesn't say anything at all about why Dad left, so Ben tries to provoke it out of him at every opportunity.  

Hal blinks slowly, visibly calming himself down.  Somehow, that just makes Ben more mad.  It doesn't seem right, that Hal gets to calm himself down while Ben feels like he's spiraling more and more out of control.  

“I'm not trying to be Dad.  I'm just trying to make sure that you're still in one piece when Dad gets back,” Hal says.  

Ben feels his body tense even tighter.  He just wants Hal to yell at him, or smack him, or do something to hurt him to make him feel better about the fact that Dad being gone is all his fault.  

“I can throw a car down the road.  I can jump up a building, run faster than you, and see further than you can.  I can heal quickly even if I do get hurt,” Ben says, not that it would really matter if he got hurt.  “But what you think doesn’t matter.  Weaver gave his okay.  You’re not actually in charge.  So deal with it.”

Hal presses his lips together, looking hurt, but he doesn’t say anything for a long moment.  

“Be careful,” Hal finally says, sounding defeated.  

“Yeah,” Ben says.  

He finally slings his pack on his back.  It makes his spikes bristle, which makes his skin suddenly feel just a just a little too tight.  

Moving fast like only he can, he darts forward, hugging Hal tight.  He’s careful with his fragile older brother.  Hurting Hal would defeat the purpose of the hug.  

Time feels like it slows down for a moment as he hugs Hal.  His heart beats steadily in his chest, and despite the fact that Hal’s ribcage is so flimsy, he still feels like Ben’s solid older brother.  

“I’m sorry,” Ben whispers.  

For Dad leaving, for them never getting along, for going out on patrol, for being himself.  

Especially that last one.  

Before Hal can react, Ben runs out of the room.  Once he’s out of the building altogether, he goes around back and climbs up the side.  Up here, no one can see him as he screws his eyes shut and tries to push all his feelings away.  

Up here, Ben can still pick out the sound of Hal’s strangled exhale.  If Ben didn’t know better, he would think it was a sob.  


End file.
